The Complete Guide to Google Voice Conference Calling (2023)

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Google Voice is an affordable way for growing businesses to conduct conference calls. But, what is the importance of teleconferences today? And how can you improve your conference calls? We're going to get into that and everything you need to know below.

Why are Google Voice conference calls so important?

Conference calling is just a fancy term for group calls that anyone can join using a regular phone or internet connection. Once you're on the phone, anyone can talk at any time while everyone else listens to the call.

It's now pretty obvious why the ability to do this can be such a valuable asset to businesses. This makes it easy for teams to communicate, even when team members are not in the same physical location.

Conference calls via Google Voice have always been a lifeline for our team in the past when it came time to hold our regular meetings with remote team members. Google Voice greatly simplifies the process as it is a tool that everyone already has access to.

You just need to make sure that everyone has an internet connection and a device to connect to, be it a laptop, smartphone or desktop. From there it is about transmitting the time and date of the call. We will expand on all of this and more below.

Quick Tips to Improve Google Voice Conference Calls Today

Google Voice makes it very easy to stay connected without shelling out for tons of fancy software. While Google Voice isn't primarily conference calling software, here's what you can do to make the process easier.

Make sure everyone has a Google Voice account

The last thing you want is to set up a conference call that no one can join when the time comes. Once you've decided you want Google Voice to be your conference calling tool, make sure you and your team members are signed in and ready to go.

Because? Because it takes just a few steps to set everything up (even if you already have a Gmail account).

To open a personal Google Voice account:

1. Visitvoz.google.com
2. Select on the home screenpersonal use only.
3. If you choose Personal, you'll see a few options when you click on them. You can choose the language for Android, iOS or Web.
4. To defeatKeep going, search for an available number by city or area, and select your preferred number from the drop-down menu options.
5. CliqueReview. You will then be asked to enter your existing phone number. This way, all calls made from your new Google Voice number will be forwarded to your current number.
6. Complete the verification process by entering the code sent to your phone number.
7. CliqueFin,And you are ready!

To open a Google Voice business account:

1. Visitvoz.google.com
2. Select on the home screenfor business.
3. After clicking on it, you will be asked to sign in with your Google/Gmail email address.
4. Choose the right price level for your company. Please note that the lowest price level of $10 per month is limited to 10 users.

In short, taking the time to set up your proper Google Voice account can help you (and your team) be better prepared for conference call time.

It also helps to test your tools ahead of time to make sure everything is hooked up correctly. Make a test call with a colleague and check that the microphone is working, that you know where the mute button is, how to start and end a call, and that there are no echoes or extraneous interference.

Make sure everyone is on the same page.

One of the easiest ways to ensure your conference calls run smoothly is to make sure everyone has the information they need to join when the time comes.

The beauty of this is that you don't have to be fancy. You can simply send a broadcast email or even a text message to let everyone who needs to attend your call know that you're hosting a conference call with Google Voice. However, be sure to include the Google Voice number to call and the date and time.

To do this, you first need a Google Voice account. It's up to you to sign up for a Google Voice personal or work account. Each has advantages and disadvantages, and your decision largely depends on the size of your team.

A smaller team could probably get away with a personal Google account. However, a larger team may need to sign up for a business account to gain access to additional tools.

Once you're signed in to Google Voice, here's what's involved:

1. Start your voice call with the first person to call
2. Wait for an incoming call notification and accept it by pressing 5
3. Repeat step two until everyone joins the call

Integrate conference call policies

Conference Calling Best Practices, while the term may sound tense and stifling, it actually goes a long way in ensuring your conference calls run smoothly. These can be general guidelines such as:

• Ask everyone to introduce themselves at the beginning (especially if you are a large group or with new people).
• Use the mute button (if possible) when someone else is speaking to avoid interruptions, extra noise, and distractions.
• Let everyone know at the beginning of the meeting if the conference call will be recorded.
• Let everyone know what the conference call agenda is and if there are any rules of thumb to follow during the interaction.
• Make it clear who is hosting the conference call to avoid confusion.
• Send a post-conference summary (if helpful) to both attendees and those unable to attend to reiterate key points. You can also attach the recording of the call and any slides or reference materials to this follow-up email.

Conference calls seem like a pretty simple thing. But as your calls with more team members increase, you need to take a more methodical approach to conference calls.

Try some of the conference calling tips above and see how seamless your conference calls get.

record your calls

Google Voice makes it easy to record your calls for future reference. This can be useful when you are on a call with valuable information or feedback that you need to refer to.

To record your Google Voice calls:

1. Sign in to your Google Voice account.
2. click notgear iconto open the settings.
3. then clickcalls.
4. Activate the option of incoming calls.
5. When you're on the phone and everyone joins in, press number 4 to start recording. Each caller receives an announcement that you have started recording.
6. If you want to stop recording, press number 4 again.

You can find the recording of the call in the Voicemail tab for future reference.

Prepare your questions and set a time limit

You can easily avoid ruining your conference call by taking the time to prepare a few questions before you begin. The general trend here, whether you're hosting a conference call, video conference, or a combination of both, is to give yourself plenty of time to prepare before the actual call takes place.

This ensures that you don't waste time, get straight to the point, and have fruitful conversations.

Setting a deadline beforehand can also help. Knowing that there is a time constraint can help streamline the meeting process. A conference call without a clear end time results in a less focused meeting that lasts longer than necessary.

Since not everyone follows the same schedule, setting a default closing time will help you keep conference calls short without becoming a heavy to-do list for team members.

Long-term strategies to improve Google Voice conference calls

These tips will work for you whether or not you use Google Voice as your preferred conference calling tool.

Try Google Duo for video conferencing

you know aboutgoogle duo? It is part of the Google Workspace family and can be a useful alternative for conferences. This allows you to start video conferences with up to 32 people quickly and for free. The video quality is excellent and you can use tablets, iPhones, Android phones, computers and smart monitors to make your video calls. On smartphones, users can download the Google Duo app or access it through the browser.

Duo also uses end-to-end encryption, so your video calls stay private and only visible to the participants on the call. Once connected, you can easily leave voice and video messages, as well as written notes.

To try Duo, you need to sign in with one of your Google accounts. Best of all, it's free and has a 25-hour call time. Your conference calls probably won't last that long, making Google Duo a viable video conferencing option for almost any small team.

Google Hangouts as another option for video calls

Instead of making a voice call, it will be easier for your team to make a conference call.Hangouts the Google. It easily integrates with Google Voice and is part of the Google Workspace suite of tools.

Getting started is as easy as:

1. Gonnahangouts.google.comor open the app from your existing Gmail account.
2. From there, clicknew conversationand thenadd group.
3. Cliquevideo call.
4. then clickOf youso that the team members you added to the group get a link to join the call.
5. Wait for everyone to connect to start your video conference.

Video conferencing can be a great way to host a call where everyone can see each other's body language while capturing inferences and voice inflections. As you probably know, this helps make the communication process smoother than just waiting for a call where all you hear are voices.

However, there are conference calling tools that can help you create world-class conference calls that go beyond the basics. We'll get to that next.

Take conference calls beyond Google Voice

If you've made it this far, you already know that Google Voice is a great option for smaller conference calls because it's affordable and cheap. However, you may reach a point where you outgrow the limited tools that Google Voice offers for conference calling.

The larger and more frequent your conference calls are, the more likely it is that you need access to more specific tools designed specifically for a smoother conference call experience.

Fortunately, we've done most of the legwork for you in this department. If you've used Google Voice but are looking for other reliable alternatives at different price points, here's a quick rundown of our guide tobest conference call service:

• RingCentral– The best conference call service for most
• Go to the meeting- Best for keeping your remote team together
• grasshopper– The best mobile virtual telephony system
• Click on Meeting– Best for webinars and conference calls
• extension– Best suited for hosting video conference calls
• big conference– Best for instant conference calls
• FreeConferenceCall.com– The best free conference call service

Next steps

If you've come this far, you'll be armed with the knowledge you need to set up a Google Voice conference call and put it to work for you and your team. For small businesses looking for a cheap way to make group calls, this is one of the best options available.

However, it takes more than just getting one puzzle piece right to turn it all into an operational commercial success. To help you out, we've also written guides on how to create your own.project management system, so that your team is better equipped to tackle and execute your projects.

If you're about to build a brand, here's everything you need to knowBuilding a memorable brandThis takes a while. we even found themThe best VoIP conference phonesif you want to upgrade to one and take your conference call to the next level.